Shearing in the Karoo

For hundreds of years, shearing seasons have come and gone in the Karoo, with wool and mohair products the result. Sharing in this experience has become a feature of Karoo farm stays. Learn about life on a Karoo heartland farm - the people, the animals and the seasons that pass.

Did you know?

Most Karoo shearing farms still use traditional hand shears and wool presses.

Zwelile Hans is a world champion living in the quiet eastern Free State village of Zastron, in the shadow of the Maluti Mountains.

He isn’t a big-name cricketer, an Olympian or a Springbok rugby player. Zwelile Hans shears sheep better than most people on Earth. The 'Man with the Golden Blades' has been named best individual shearer in the annual World Sheep-Shearing Championships no less than four times in the past decade.

It's well worth experiencing a farm stay in the Karoo during shearing season. The massive old shed feels like a country cathedral as you step inside. Natural light from special skylights in the roof falls onto the working area to guide the shearers and wool classers in their endeavours.

The sound level inside the shed – a constant bawling of sheep or angora goats – rises above the workers’ voices. Occasionally, an outraged ram will bleat shrilly as he loses his winter coat to the catwalks and high-end fashion stores of Europe. To the untrained ear, he sounds just like a child throwing a tantrum.

A fresh woolly beast is led into the shed every five minutes or so. The shearer clamps its body firmly between his legs and begins to work his magic with an old-school traditional set of blades, from the hindquarters to the head.

A firm pat on the rear end sends the sheep or goat down the chute to join his shorn companions. The throwing of the fleece – a rather grand gesture involving a skilled flick of the wrist – commences. The wool graders gather around the lanolin-slicked table and pick at the fleece, inspecting the length, strength and fineness of the fibre.

More and more Karoo farms are opening up to tourists, and one of the special features of a farm stay in the heartland of South Africa is time spent with the wool workers – and the animals – back in the old shearing shed.

Travel tips & Planning info

Who to contact

How to get here

The Karoo has a vast and varied offering of farm stays. Start with the Karoo Heartland area (see website) and work your way out to the more far-flung areas.

Main Karoo towns include Cradock, Middelburg, Nieu Bethesda, Graaff-Reinet, Aberdeen, Steytlerville, Jansenville, Somerset East, Bedford, and Hofmeyr, but there are at least another 60 Karoo towns.

Best time to visit

Each Karoo season has its blessing. There is sometimes snow in winter, and summers are baking. Most travellers prefer the times when seasons are changing (April-May in autumn and August-September in spring) because of their relatively temperate conditions.

Get around

The roads in the Karoo are mostly good. If a 4x4 is needed, your host will invariably provide transport.

What will it cost

Karoo farm stays are generally good value-for-money.

Length of stay

Stay for two or three days. The longer you stay, the more you get out of the experience.

What to pack

Pack for hot days and cold nights and you'll be safe.

Where to stay

The farms usually have separate cottages available for visitors.

What to eat

Indulge yourself in a traditional Karoo plate, which will invariably include lamb, cooked vegetables and a baked pudding.

What's happening

Check the Karoo Heartland website for details of upcoming events.

Best buys

Mohair products, sheepskin slippers, wire windmills from the crafters along the Cradock-Colesberg road.

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